You Should Tri

Please go and Support Holdin’ Out For A Hero because Laurita is doing some amazing things for the Spina Bifida commmunity. Don’t know what it is? Just click the link above and find out! This is the piece she did on me. So close to the end of the anniversary of the blog, I feel so honored! I had no idea till I saw she tagged me on Facebook! The story goes…

In every single form of mass media in this environment, it seems people are constantly plugging athletes as our “superheroes.” They’re the people we look up to for help, for answers, for guidance– not because they are running for office, or because they are proficient in the practice of medicine. Indeed, a popular athlete’s “claim to fame” is all wrapped up in his/her physique. It is then up to them to find a way to use that “celebrity” for the greater good– if that actually happens. Unfortunately, time and time again, our favorite athletic role models disappoint, leaving in their wake a slew of tabloid headlines and unflattering photos that no one would want to see posted on Facebook.

I paint a pretty picture, don’t I?

Well, meet Bryan Ballart. I did when I was maybe 10 years old, and he was a scrawny little boy of maybe 7 or 8 years. His older sister, Christine, who is about my age, has spina bifida, and his family and my family were attending Camp Boggy Creek for the first time, I think.

The camp accommodations, which were old-fashioned wooden cabins, were duplex-style, with two families in each building sharing a kitchen. I didn’t realize it until our last day of that camp weekend that our families had been neighbors! We had a lot to talk about, and in Spanglish, too. (His family is Cuban, and of course, mine is Puerto Rican!)

That was back in 1997. I clearly remember little Bryan, who could never stay put in one place. He loved playing basketball in the camp gym, and could often be found playing around outside in the Cabin Rows during “rest time.”

In this photo, a dorkier version of myself, my friend Luis, and Bryan are playing wheelchair basketball. At camp, they would require anyone not in a wheelchair to play on a scooter– not an easy task!

Today, little Bryan (still skinny!), is a well-built athlete who participates in triathlons. The Miami native is a student at Florida International University, a personal fitness trainer, a sports nutritionist, and an instructor at Bring it Bootcamp, where he helps people of all body types get whipped into shape.

About three weeks ago (correct me on this, Bryan, if I’m wrong!), Bryan started a blog called You Should Tri (clever, very clever!) Through his blog, Bryan takes questions about fitness and nutrition, from anyone at any level of health or athleticism. He’s also specifically a triathlete, which requires very rigorous and painstaking training and discipline.

Bryan has definitely grown up and is already making a career for himself by guiding others toward a healthier lifestyle.

Bryan, my friend Luis and I play wheelchair basketball (all the kids without wheelchairs played on scooters!). This was my official “awkward phase” growing up, just in case you couldn’t tell.

But, as you might have guessed, that’s not why he’s a hero to me. Several months ago, the youngest Mr. Ballart sent me a chat on Facebook. We hadn’t “talked” in many years, so we each caught up on what the other is doing. He told me he simply wanted to let me know that he admired what I was doing with “Holdin’ Out for a Hero,” and that I could count on his support in anything! He informed me that the athletic community is a great resource, and that they are a close-knit and incredibly supportive group.

Today, Ballart is a fitness bootcamp instructor, a sports nutritionist, a great motivator— and a hero.

He’ll never know just what a great boost of motivation and energy that gave me! (And it wasn’t even due to a workout!) As Bryan establishes himself as a professional and as a passionate individual, he has made it clear that he also has a great deal of passion for the spina bifida cause. He’s going to do some amazing things for this effort, even if simply by spreading the word. And all the while, he is encouraging all of us to be healthy and happy. There isn’t possibly a greater motive than that!

Abrazos a tí, Bryan! (“Hugs, to you, Bryan!”)

Love,

Laurita ♥

Run as fast as you want to, not as fast as you think you can

Anonymous: “Why is it when I workout sometimes I feel like throwing up?”

Well, it actually happens to most. I remember when I was in my 12th grade weight training class. The first day my teacher made us run a mile and do some circuit training in the gym. Once class was over I began to feel a little light headed. I ran to the nearest trash can and yacked my life out! But I felt like a million bucks after that!

Why was the reason I felt the way I did? 

I was not properly hydrated.

• When you are dehydrated you tend to get the “throwing up” or “faint” feeling because you have nothing to cool your body down with. So it tends to over heat and there fore you have the feeling of throwing up. Drink some water the night before and throughout the day. Even when you are not exercising, it is recommended to take 8 glasses of water a day… So get drinking!

I ate right before the class started.

• When eating, try not to workout within 2 hours of eating. You will encounter some digestion problems if you workout right after eating. I usually tell my clients to eat a meal 3 hours before our session, that way your body will be able to use the food you consumed as fuel rather than a reason to put a “Wet Floor” sign.

I over exerted myself.

• Over exerting yourself will definitely make you want to throw up because your body is not used to the amount of physical strain you are putting on it. You have to learn how to cool down, that way your heart rate can slowly reach it’s resting rate rather than completely stopping and shocking your heart.

Trust me, don’t let throwing up let you down. A lot of people don’t know their own limits and that comes with time. Whenever you work out, listen to your body. You body will let you know when it is tired. Practice those steps above and check back with me in 2 weeks.

Have you ever thrown up because of strenuous exercise? What was it and what did you do to change it?

Train like the athlete you aspire to be

Chris Carmichael

Hey everyone, I figured I would take a break from answering questions today so I may tell you a funny story that happened this morning. Every morning, I have some Muscle Milk for breakfast (great source of protein, vitamins and good fats) and today I was not in the mood to drink something first thing in the morning so I remembered I had a recipe for Muscle Milk Pancakes (yuummm) The recipe calls for:

• 6 egg whites
• 1/2 cup of oatmeal
• 1 cup of Muscle Milk
• spray pan with non stick stuff
• Mix ingredients and place in skillet
• Flip when needed and done!

Since my cooking/baking level is not to the caliber of my Girlfriend I thought this would be more at my level.

So putting all the ingredients in, I noticed the batter looked a little too wet. But I thought nothing of it and continued to cook them. So to make a long story short…the first batch looked like scrambled eggs and the second looked like a hash brown. Defeated, I ate the hash brown looking “pancakes”.

Frustrated, I did what any normal person would do, go on the internet! After about 15 seconds of research I noticed the “Powder” portion in every recipe I looked at, I had the Ready-to-drink bottles!!! I laughed, finished my “pancakes” and admitted defeat. Cooking FAIL!

Anonymous: “when I workout I keep getting cramps in my side area, why is that? And how do I get rid of it?”

It is funny, I was about to post about this whether someone asked or not! I am a broken record when it comes to telling my clients to drink more water throughout the day. But I want to give you a more detailed answer so here you go.

What is a Cramp?

Cramps often occur during prolonged training when there has been a lot of sweating. Large losses of fluid and sodium can both be factors to why individuals suffer with heat cramps. Because sodium plays an important role in initiating signals from nerves to action movement of the muscles, low sodium can reduce the coordination of nerves and muscles, resulting in spontaneous muscle contractions or cramping.

Now, how to prevent it

Since you lose so much fluid and sodium when training the only thing you can do is replace them. Sports drinks usually have what you need, just find a flavor you want. Remember to drink little and often. Many people tend to forget to hydrate until it is too late. The key is to drink every 15 to 20 minutes. This will help keep the body hydrated and replace the sodium that it has lost in sweat.

Preventing cramps begins with replacing fluid and sodium losses during and after training or competition. For salty sweaters or if an individual is expected to have a higher sweat rate, add some more sodium in your drinks and foods.

To all my clients out there reading this? I told you so!!